He made the remarks while leading a 40-member delegation of Thuringian enterprises and agricultural organisations on a working visit to Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City and Da Nang from November 3 to 8. The trip aims to seek new partnerships in agriculture, food processing and human resources development, thereby opening up fresh avenues for bilateral cooperation.

Agriculture currently accounts for around 10% of Viet Nam’s GDP and provides employment for nearly one-third of the national workforce.

During the visit, the Thuringian delegation is expected to share modern technologies and production processes to help Vietnamese enterprises enhance efficiency and added value in agricultural processing.

Thuringia’s demand for skilled agricultural workers is forecast to continue rising in the coming years, hence the expansion of vocational training cooperation between Viet Nam and the German state, particularly in green and sustainable jobs, is a right and sustainable direction.

Bilateral trade between Thuringia and Viet Nam stood at around 220 million EUR (over 253 million USD), with more than 40 Thuringian companies maintaining regular exports to Viet Nam.

There remains substantial untapped potential, and there is every opportunity to expand further, Malsch noted.

The partnership between Thuringia and Viet Nam goes beyond trade, extending to vocational training and labour recruitment. By 2025, more than 300 young Vietnamese have begun vocational training placements in southern Thuringia under joint projects between local enterprises and Vietnamese training institutions, the official added.